Bodily resistance to anti-microbes major health challenge: J P Nadda

Terming Antimicrobial Resistance as the number one public health challenge before the world, the government today made a strong pitch for non-rational use of antibiotics.PTI | Updated: February 24, 2016, 06:03 IST

New Delhi: Terming Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as the number one public health challenge before the world, the government today made a strong pitch for non-rational use of antibiotics.

"AMR has emerged as the number one public health challenge faced by the world today. The first step in addressing the problem of AMR is to avoid the need for antibiotics at all in the first place," Union Health Minister J P Nadda said while inaugurating a three-day international conference on combating AMR.

"This is best done through improved water and sanitation, in the absence of which proliferation of diarrhoeal diseases results in inappropriate antibiotic use," he said.

AMR including antibiotic resistance, is the resistance of a microbe to an antimicrobial medication that used to be effective in treating or preventing an infection caused by that microbe.

It threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

Pointing out the "grave" economic consequences countries across the world were facing due to non-rational use of antibiotics, the Minister said "India is committed to combating AMR. However, a collective action is required by all stakeholders within a country and by all countries within a region. India, will be very happy to work with other member States towards this common goal".

He also said an exercise to map health facilities in the private and public sectors has been undertaken for preparing a "database of determinants and impacts of non-rational use of antibiotics."

Nadda said through 'Swacch Bharat' programme, the government has taken active steps to improve hygiene and sanitation and reduce the environmental spread of pathogens.

Nadda said through 'Mission Indradhanush' India has set itself an ambitious goal of increasing routine immunisation coverage to 90 per cent within a few years.

The Minister said the complexity of AMR is "fuelled" by numerous stakeholders who include patients, doctors who prescribe medicines, pharmacists who dispense them, the industry which manufactures, the government which regulates, research organisations which innovate and the animal and agricultural sector which contribute to the food chain among others.

"Given this scenario, it is imperative that all stakeholders connected with AMR contribute to pave the way for effective action to combat it.

"There should be correct prescription practices, prescription audits and digital repository of patients' medical history among other important measures to be taken to combat the growing misuse of antibiotics," he said.